Sobriety testing, which includes testing for both alcohol and illegal drugs, has taken a prominent role in ensuring a safe and efficient society. For example, ignition interlocks on vehicles have proven their worth in preventing intoxicated drivers from entering the roadways and causing serious, including fatal, accidents. Sobriety testing has also allowed authorities, such as courts and law enforcement agencies, to monitor compliance with the court-ordered restrictions imposed on persons having committed alcohol or drug related offenses. Among other things, with the availability of reliable sobriety testing systems, such offenders can continue travel to work, school, or rehabilitation and thus contribute to society, rather than be a burden.
In cold or hot weather, the test subject (driver) must first take and pass the sobriety test before the engine can be started and the passenger compartment heater or air conditioning activated. In cold or very cold weather, warm-up of the passenger compartment can take several minutes after engine start before the air temperature has increased to a comfortable level for the driver and any accompanying passengers. Similarly, in hot or very hot weather, cooling of the passenger compartment to a comfortable level can take up to several minutes, depending on the vehicle. For the purposes of this application, it is understood that a warm-up process refers to both warming up and cooling down of the vehicle to reach a desired cabin temperature range.
In contrast to vehicles without sobriety interlock systems, the driver of a vehicle equipped with such a system typically cannot start-up the vehicle engine (either directly with ignition switch or with a remote starter system) and then wait in a more comfortable environment while the passenger compartment is warmed or cooled by the vehicle environmental control systems. More specifically, most sobriety testing systems require a retest at some random time within a specified period of time after initial start-up (e.g., 10 minutes) to minimize the chance of an intoxicated driver circumventing the test system. Consequently, at least the driver must remain in the vehicle awaiting the retest, even if the passenger compartment air has not reached a comfortable temperature. This problem is compounded when the driver must care for children or other passengers who must accompany the driver and therefore must also endure the passenger compartment environment prevailing immediately after engine start-up.